Thursday, October 04, 2007

Got the email and pix below from MZone reader Jeremy. Great stuff all around.

"I'm a life long Michigan fan who moved to Mississippi about eight weeks ago. The fans of LSU are going insane over the viable prospect of losing Les Miles to Michigan. It's in the newspapers, TV, radio, and of course all over the internet.

I attended the LSU vs. USC game this past week and brought along my Michigan gear and a poster that read: From LSU it's only 1,108 "Miles" to Michigan.

I went to this game to see… What SEC football was all about…If our fans truly suck as much as I think they do…and to have a little fun with the whole, please don't go Nick Saban on us fear around LSU.

Here's what happened/what I learned...

a. I got to see Les Miles as he got off the bus with his team. I told Him from a distance that Michigan respects what he's doing, and that were proud of Him… I didn't want to bother him with his team right there... so I left it at that.

b. On the way to the stadium I heard "App State" about every five steps…but a simple, I'm here for your coach blast, and all was quiet again! I brought the sign into the stadium and had a great time with it! The LSU fans were pretty cool about it! They all had an opinion and were incredibly eager to talk about it. I couldn't walk around for more than two minutes without someone grabbing me and wanting to talk! 99% of the people said that they love him and don't want him to leave… Many people commented on his family values and commitment to the community…only two guys said, "a retarded monkey could coach this much talent, well be just fine without him"

c. PUT THE KEY'S AWAY!!! Ok. We simply suck when it comes to passionate fans. I watched as elderly men, women and middle age people sat through a down pour and cheered their buts off! Many times it was a 2nd and 6 and the fans were cheering like it was the last play of the game! And I'm NOT talking about the student section! This was in the other end zone. The student section was non-stop chaos! They were their 60 minutes before the game harassing the other teams practice. I was completely blown away by the passion and devotion of SEC football. I'm a big ten guy, but I must admit, they are simply more devoted.

16 comments:

cool post... Maybe Tiger nation is the most bipolar (piggbacking on the post about Michigan fans recently)???

I see Miles sucks all over the internet and TV and yet, you go to the stadium and find the exact opposite -- WEIRD!

Personally, I think the chances of Miles coming to Michigan are slim. Miles has a "Michigan Only" buyout.

If Martin was indeed serious about wanting to return Michigan BB to elite status, Martin would not have let WVU's buyout hover over John Beilein the way he did. Yes, contracts are the responsibility of those who signed it, but if you're a company and you're going out headhunting, then you need to back it up with cash.

I love college ball... been to the Rose Bowl, Lincoln, Boulder, and USC among others and always been treated well by those home crowds.

I was down in BR a few weeks ago for the Virginia Tech game, and I definitely agree with Jeremy. Those are the loudest fans I've ever heard in my life. And for the most part, they were all really great people. Here's what I thought about the trip.

Rick Neuheisel? There is no chance of that happening. He's had problems at both Colorado and Washington. No way he's even an option.

Les Miles' buyout is $1.25 million. Beilein's was $3 million or so. That's why Michigan balked at paying that. Also, this is the football program, not the basketball program. Michigan will need to find someone that will be around for 10 years or more.

I just hope that no one on the current staff is considered, and that Mike DeBord and his 1984 offense are sent packing.

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